Flourless Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These gluten-free, refined sugar-free cookies are the creation of my good friend, Hallie Klecker from Daily Bites. Her first cookbook, The Pure Kitchen, was just released. My copy is on the way! I can’t wait! Make sure to check it out – it’s filled with 100 gluten-free, dairy-free recipes you’re sure to love. Enjoy Hallie’s guest post!

Can you recall your first food memory?

As a little girl, I clearly remember standing on a footstool at the counter helping my mom make chocolate chip cookies. She never followed recipes and still doesn’t to this day. By heart, she knew just how much flour to put in the bowl, just how much butter to cream with the sugar, just how big of a handful of chocolate chips to mix in at the end. My mom approached cooking with an admirable “just wing it” attitude, going with the flow of the seasons, the schedule, and the family’s cravings.

Many of the recipes I create today are influenced by those formative years of cooking alongside my mom. We actually did very little baking together, but it’s the sweet treats that I remember most vividly. Her Caramel Apple Pie took first place and a bright blue ribbon in an autumn pie contest one year. The fruit cake she made only at Christmas was eagerly awaited all year long by my dad and sister. On my birthday, she often would make my favorite—Blueberry Pie—complete with homemade whipped cream on top.

Growing up in Midwestern suburbs, our grocery stores were your average American markets. But without fail, my mom could transform the humblest of ingredients (think potatoes and chicken) into a knock-out dish. She cooked simply, from scratch, with no frills or specialty gourmet ingredients. She made everything with love, and you could taste it.

As I wrote my cookbook, I found myself turning back to my family’s roots again and again. What my mom taught me in the kitchen is spelled out on the pages of my book in recipes like the Hearty Beef, Millet, & Vegetable Stew and the Baked Chicken Thighs with Balsamic Cherry Pan Sauce. When it comes to cooking, I keep try to keep things simple and pared down. I find that it’s both easier and healthier that way.

This recipe for Flourless Oatmeal Raisin Cookies couldn’t be simpler. I’m fortunate to have several well-stocked natural food stores in my area, so it’s easy for me to get my hands on a wide range of gluten-free flours. But I understand that not everyone has that privilege, so every now and then I try to create recipes that can be made without gluten-free specialty flours.

These satisfying, high-protein cookies are just sweet enough to feel like a treat. Most of the ingredients are kitchen staples. When you keep your recipes simple and straightforward, there’s room for memories to be made instead of stress to be had. To this day, baking cookies still takes me back to those days of stirring cookie dough with my mom and sneaking a sample or two when she wasn’t looking.

It’s those memories that keep me inspired and wanting to cook again and again. The little things in life—even something as simple as gluten-free cookies—really are what make it sweet and a life worth living to the fullest.

@Kathy, You can get it from iHerb.com. If you use coupon code SIR086, you'll get a $5 discount on your first order. I love using coconut sugar in my cookies...it gives them a nice caramelized outside while still being soft in the middle.
Hugs,
Amy

Hallie, I made these with quinoa flakes earlier this week, and I (yes, me alone!) have eaten them all, so they definitely passed my taste test. I did add a few chocolate chunks...chocolate makes everything better, especially almond butter! Thanks for the recipe.

@Loflin, I substituted some ground quinoa for the oatmeal (didn't have flakes; I just ground some in the coffee grinder) and it worked great. The four of us polished off the whole 2 dozen in short order.

Yum! Just pulled these out of the oven and they're great! Here are my substitutions (I find it impossible to follow any recipe to the letter :)
*for the almond butter I used 1/2 c almond butter and 1/2 c raw cashew butter
*for the agave I used 2T raw honey and 2T Grade B Maple syrup
and I added 1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut

Thank you for sharing your substitutions. I was wondering what I could substitute for the agave. I just have to pick up the coconut sugar - anxious to give that a try - and we'll be making these this weekend.

thanks for sharing this recipe I made these this evening and my friends loved them. They are nice and chewy. I will definitely make them again. I used coconut flour instead of coconut sugar and still found these to be very sweet.
keep up the awesome work,
Nellie

These cookies are so delicious--I was a bit weary, as I have tried some other recipes (not from Amy) that were sugar free. Coconut Sugar can be found at healthfood stores, although I order online at amazon--just easier for me.
My kids LOVE these cookies--I didn't have enough almond butter, so I used some natural (no sugar) peanut butter...and I used craisins...This is a KEEPER!

@Amy, Sorry Amy!! I thought Vivian Grace was referring to my suggestion to @Iris!:-) Didn't want you to think I was trying to steal your thunder :-) Great site, BTW! Just found it, and the recipes look yummy!! Vivian, let me know about the chocolate soynut butter..if you can eat soy, obv!:-)

@MISHIRN, No worries! I love that you jump in and share. From my end, it's nearly impossible to tell who's replied to what - I can just see individual comments, not the threads unless I actually look at each post.
Hugs,
Amy

Vivian, I'm SO glad it helped!! I love LOVE SunButter. I was devastated when i became allergic to nuts, n OB was one of the hardest things to give up. So many "PB substitutes" were lackluster at best...but my hubby(who's non-allergic) n I actually PREFER SB!! Also, if any of you all are missing Nutella, I.M Healthy chocolate soynut butter is preeetty amazing! Prefect for those delights nut-freers can no longer enjoy, like choco/banana crepes, OR grilled choco/SB/banana sammies!! Ok, i must go now...my bellys talking to me!:-) Glad I could help!! @Vivian-Grace,

@Lish, Thanks for coming back to share, Lish! Thrilled that you like the cookies.
Yes - coconut palm sugar gives cookies a great consistency. I use it in all my cookies in my book and give them to 'regular eaters' all the time - they never suspect that they're gluten-free and refined sugar-free.
Hugs,
Amy

This recipe is a FAVORITE with my whole family!!!
A slightly less healthy variation:
replace raisins with gf/sf/df chocolate chips
add 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
AMAZING!!!!!
P.S. I have used cashew butter as well with awesome results!!!

Chewy...yummy....wow these are so good. I substituted honey for the agave nectar. I have been baking sugar and gluten free for about a year. Each time disappointed by the less than chewy and dry texture of most baked goods. I have been reading recipes on your site for a month and am so glad I finally tried one. I had palm sugar on hand but had not tried it yet. I think it is the secret to the texture and flavor in a cookie that I have been missing. I look forward to trying many more of your well thought out recipes. Thank you, Amy.

These sound so yummy! I have a batch in the oven right now, and they smell heavenly.
I love your blog. Thanks for helping those of us who are going gluten free make the transition easier. I have your cookbook on my Christmas list, so I'm looking forward to making more of your delicious recipes.

I just pulled these out of the oven and they're delicious. I used 1/4 cup each almond and almond/brazil/cashew butter, 1/2 cup peanut butter, quinoa flakes instead of oats, and 1/4 cup vegan choc. chips instead of raisins; works a treat and hopefully they sit well with my temperamental digestive system. 8D

I just made these and substituted pumpkin puree (lower calorie count) for the almond butter and they were AMAZING! I cooked them for 20-25 minutes instead of 11-12. My kids loved them! Thanks for the wonderful site. I love your approach and perspective :)

I made the cookies using natural crunchy peanut butter. I added the leftovers from when I juiced earlier that morning. I also added ground flaxseed. Once, I even substituted chia seed gel For the egg. The cookies were so chewy and delicious!! No one believed that there was no flour whatsoever in the cookies! They were even more amazed at the ingredients that were used. LOL!
My husband just took some cookies to work today so his co-worker could try them. Thanks for the recipe!!

Hi. I made these today and after perusing many of your recipes, decided to make them with xylitol and stevia. I replaced the agave with the xylitol and the palm sugar with stevia. I am on an anti-sugar/sweetener diet right now but love that I can use xylitol since it helps with candida. The dough is super yummy! Now just waiting impatiently for them to come out of the oven. Thanks! I was really wanting a little cheat - the cheat being the oats. :) Do you have many recipes in your cookbook that are grain free (or close) and use xylitol and stevia?

@anna, Hi Anna, You can most certainly experiment yourself. I find that flax eggs usually work well. I have only used Ener-g a few times but always get good results.
What do you usually use as an egg replacement?

About Amy

Living free of refined sugars and gluten since 2004 has allowed me to live a fulfilled, healthy life. My food cravings, migraines, and depression vanished and was able to maintain a 60+ pound weight loss. Today I live with enormous freedom. Join me as I create healthier food that's delicious. I'll help you do the same.